1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for repelling insects and other pests from a specific area, as around food and people.
2. Background Art
Virtually everyone that engages in outdoor activities contends with flying insects and other pests. This is particularly true when food is served as this offers a further attraction to these pests. A myriad of different products are offered to contend with this problem.
One form of pest control is the use of permanent or semi-permanent netted or screened enclosures around a specific area in which people will congregate. While such structures are reasonably effective in limiting pest access, they have a number of drawbacks.
First of all, these structures may be relatively expensive. The netting or screen also degrades over time and may require ongoing repair and upkeep. Further, these structures usually are placed at a specific location to which people become confined. Most significantly, these structures are generally effective only at limiting access by a large number of pests. Many pests inevitably find their way to within the enclosure and become a significant nuisance, even in small numbers.
Another form of pest control is the use of chemicals, such as with foggers. The chemicals used in these foggers are not discriminating as to their victims and kill not only beneficial insects but represent a threat to larger animate objects such as birds and pets. Further, humans may react allergically to such chemicals. Generally, the ingestion of such chemicals by humans is detrimental. Still further, the fogger chemicals are not inexpensive. Effective pest control also may require repeated applications. Follow up applications may be made with food product present, presenting additional obvious dangers.
Insect repellants are reasonably effective as applied to human body parts. Even those repellants do not deter all types of pests. But more significantly, repellants applied as such have no repellant effect on pests that are attracted to food products, such as flies, bees, beetles, etc. These pests commonly land on food and oft times lay eggs, or spread germs, bacteria, and other potentially disease-producing matter upon the food before it is ingested.
Another proposed solution to the pest problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,721, to Underwood. Underwood discloses a device with a single, cantilevered wand on a stem that rotates around a vertical axis. The moving wand is described as creating a "visual disturbance" to pests.
While the applicant herein is not familiar with any commercial device made according to Underwood's teachings, it appears that the Underwood structure has a significant number of limitations and drawbacks. First, it appears that the wand would be a disturbance only to pests in a space in, or immediately adjacent to, its path. When a simple wand rotates at relatively slow speeds, pests might have time to land on and contaminate food before the wand returns in its path and encounters or comes near to them.
Further, while the wand is described to be "flexible," it must be rigid enough to maintain its projecting shape of FIG. 1, without sagging. Inherently, this makes the wand rigid enough that it could snag on objects, such as food or eating utensils, in its path. Objects set on a table, or elsewhere where the device is used, must be strategically located to reside out of the path of the wand. Otherwise the wand will be blocked by an article which it encounters, or alternatively will carry or tip an article in its path. If the wand is rotated over a plate as shown in FIG. 1 of Underwood, an individual must time his/her eating motion.
Most significantly, it appears that the device in Underwood has a very limited volume in which it affects pests. If it were made larger with the described configuration, it could become onerous, obstructive, and potentially a hazard to those within its reach.